Janis, We are always pondering something, looking to live life in the best way possible. Town with a (blue) country feel seems a pleasant choice. I know I liked the view you showed from your drawing table.

Jane, There is so much to love in each. As you suggest, a base in the city with short trips to the country has been nice, but we are wondering if we could swing a whole summer in the country. Hmmm...

Nicole, We do need to stay close to San Francisco. Even if we escaped to the country for a summer Chris would need to touch down in the city every so often. Good point, "town" does tend to be greener.

how about take those wonderfully stemmy geraniums in the photo and head to the country? perhaps keep a little apt. in the city? everything and everyone starts to look the same if I'm in the city too long. but, in the country...not so...there are less one way streets in the country

melissa (countingdandelions), I do like geraniums. I wonder if my neighbor would mind if I swiped just one pot. There is something about the population of the city that offers anonymity. Sometimes this feels nice and sometimes it doesn't.

n. (woolf), Yes, a combination of both.

Michele, It does seem like a pretty nice solution.

mise, Oh yes, staying away from a cultural city for too long would leave me a little sad. Very wise answer.

cookiecrumb, I'm starting to think so.

Christopher, Isn't Jane an inspiration? You might also be interested in this post I wrote during the summer of 2009. http://chezdanisse.blogspot.com/2009/06/sometimes-city-makes-you-soft.html

i just got home from a large city and i missed the country so much. last night as i was falling asleep i realized how quiet it was and it felt so nice. i can't take all of the noise and bustle--on an extended basis. i like the country with little trips to the city. sort of the reverse of what you've been doing.

It's a hard one for sure. I love them both but of course for different reasons. It seems that is the case for you too. Perhaps when in the city you are still able to find nature nearby and when in the country you can still be close enough to the city. It's a fine balance, my friend.